The First Blow
by RachL8
Summary: War with Voldemort is coming, and the first blow is struck in a way no-one could have expected within the walls of Hogwarts itself. The actions of one pupil leave the teachers with a difficult situation to cope with.
1. Chapter 1

Severus Snape walked hurriedly back to the classroom in the dungeons to find the last essay he had to mark that night. He must have left it behind on the desk when he picked up the rest of them at the end of the seventh year potions class. As he strode up to the desk, a movement in the corner of the room caught his eye. What he might have taken for a bundle of robes in the corner of his classroom, had he indeed noticed it at all, he now realised upon further investigation was actually a student. "_Lumos_." The lights in the classroom were suddenly brighter, and he realised that the student cowering in the corner was Hermione Granger.

"What are you doing here Miss Granger? Get up and explain yourself at once." No doubt she was intent on stealing more illegal potions ingredients, he thought to himself, but as time passed and the distinct lack of compliance continued, it struck him that he had never known her to ignore a direct order from a teacher. He moved forward to see if he could discern anything else, but she shrank away from him, trying to bury herself in the solid rock wall of the classroom.

"Miss Granger, are you hurt?" His voice was gentler this time. "Get up; let me have a look at you please." She shook her head and shrank further into the corner. He crouched down and tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she fought him with unexpected ferocity. He backed off.

"OK, I'm not going to touch you, but I need you to tell me what happened here Miss Granger." He paused again, giving her the chance to speak up. "There is clearly something serious going on here, and I need to know what it is if we are to sort it out." He looked at her, but she refused to meet his gaze.

"Hermione, I need you to talk to me," he said, still in the same calm, steady voice. She was shaking, he noticed, and an awful suspicion began to dawn in his mind as he realised with a shudder that her robes were ripped at the front. He tried to push the possibility to one side of his whirring mind; surely this kind of evil could not exist within the castle walls. He was crouched directly in front of Hermione now; he would have to tread softly to get to the bottom of this.

"Hermione, I need you to look at me. Whatever has happened is over now. No one is going to hurt you Miss Granger. Look at me." The authoritative tone in his voice clearly worked, for her eyes met his for the first time. "Good girl. No one is going to hurt you, but you need to tell me what happened. We need to know who hurt you. You know that. I need you to talk to me." His eyes didn't leave hers once. To his horror, she began to cry. That was all he needed, a hysterical female. He had never been any good with weepy women, and he was at a loss now. All his instincts told him to reach out and hold her, but he wasn't sure if she would let him. She clearly had issues about being touched, which would make sense if … well, he would cross that bridge when he came to it. He reached out awkwardly to pat her on the shoulder, and found that he had a sobbing student in his arms. She was clinging to the front of his robes, shaking all over; to say the events in the dungeon must have unsettled her somewhat would have been, he thought, something of an understatement. He put his arms round her, rocking her gently, until her sobs slowed and her breathing returned to normal. He brushed her hair out of her eyes, and continued to hold her, waiting for her to calm sufficiently to loosen her grip on his robes. She was still very shaken, her face was deathly pale when she lifted it to glance up at him. Severus felt she ought to have some chocolate, but couldn't move to get any at that moment with her in his arms (not that he generally kept any stashed around his classroom anyway…).

"Hermione, tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if I don't know what the matter is." He made his voice as soft as he could. He had learned something from years of watching Minerva McGonagall dealing with his homesick Slytherins, then. "I need you to tell me what happened, and who did this." He didn't want to push the issue with Hermione in such a fragile state, but if this had something to do with the Dark Lord, then something needed to be done, and now.

Hermione felt safe for the first time that evening when Severus had taken her in his arms. She clung to him, and couldn't seem to release her grip. She couldn't bring herself to think about what had happened to her in the room only an hour earlier. It seemed like a lifetime ago. It seemed unreal, as if it hadn't happened to her, but at the same time the dull ache in her stomach told her that it was all too real, and that she would have to face up to it at some point. She was safe here though. She didn't have to think. The beat of Snape's heart was calming, and she relaxed a little, leaning further into the crook of his arm. He was talking to her, asking her questions but she couldn't answer them, couldn't think about answering them just yet. She closed her eyes, pretending that it would all go away when she opened them again.

"Hermione." Severus spoke the name so softly. "Hermione, I know that something horrible has happened to you tonight, and I know that you're frightened, but I need to know if you're physically injured anywhere." _I need to know who the hell did this to you_ he thought, trying desperately to keep a lid on the anger that was welling up inside him. Getting angry now would not help him; there would be time for that later. Right now he had to concentrate on Hermione. Once she was ok, then he could get angry. "Hermione, we need to get you to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey needs to have a look at you. Is it alright if I carry you?" he said, giving up on the hope that she would open up to him there and then. Picking her up despite her feeble protests that she would walk, he carried her out of the classroom in the direction of the hospital wing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Poppy, might I have your attention here for a minute?"

"Really Severus, what is it. I'm extremely busy at the minute …" She trailed off seeing the student in his arms. There must be something extremely wrong if Severus Snape had carried a student through the school to the hospital wing. She silently pointed him into a side room, closing the door behind them. Severus felt Hermione tense as the door was closed, and as he put her down on the bed she clung to him. He sat down next to her, putting an arm round her shoulders. She wasn't going to let him go it seemed.

"I found Miss Granger in the dungeon. She is very shocked, and something has obviously occurred to upset her, but whether she is hurt or not, I have not been able to ascertain. She was in no fit state to speak to me about her experience, and so I brought her to you Poppy."

Poppy Pomfrey took hold of Hermione's hands. "All right Hermione sweetheart." Her voice was warm and comforting. "It's going to be all right I promise, you're completely safe here, and nobody's going to do anything that you don't want them to. Ok?"

Hermione dully nodded her head, as if she wasn't able to comprehend what was being said.

"Hermione, would it be ok if I had a little look at you my love? I need to see if you're hurt anywhere. I'm not going to touch you if that's what you're worried about." Severus could see that this idea worried her more than a little. He held her close, and wanted to tell her it would all be alright, but couldn't find the words. She was looking at him now, and he could see the pain in her eyes.

"Don't leave me, please." She was pleading with him.

"Don't be silly Miss Granger," he said briskly, tightening his grip on her shoulders.

"Nobody is going anywhere my love." Poppy was holding a steaming beaker of potion. "I want you to drink this sweetheart. It'll make you feel very sleepy for a little while. You've had a nasty shock and I want you to have a little sleep. Professor Snape is going to go outside whilst you get changed into a nightdress, and then he's going to come back in and sit with you. Professor Snape, might I have a word with you outside for a moment?"

"Alright, I'm coming straight back." He handed her the nightdress, and walked out of the room.

"What are you going to do to her?" he asked Poppy angrily.

"I need to examine her Severus, but I can't help her tonight. She's in shock, and she doesn't trust me. The best thing for her is sleep, so I've given her a calming draught to help her relax."

"Well, why can't you just give her a sleeping potion?" he retorted.

"That won't help her, Severus. She needs sleep, but she needs natural sleep if she possibly can. By the way, I summoned Minerva. I thought she ought to know."

"Thanks," he said distractedly.

Poppy put her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright Severus?" she asked him gently.

"I'm not the issue here, Poppy. Hermione is. Whether I'm alright or not is not an issue." Of course he was alright, he had to be alright. He was always alright. But he would get to the bottom of this if it killed him.

Hermione woke up, and didn't know quite where she was. Then the events of the last few hours came rushing back to meet her, and she retched. Madam Pomfrey had a bowl there just in time, and there was a comforting hand on the small of her back. When she was sure that there was nothing left inside her to throw up, she sat up shakily, and asked for a glass of water. She realised that the person behind her was Severus Snape, and she turned to look at him.

"Feeling better?" He was looking at her with an expression on his face that she couldn't read. It was half pity, half something else. She didn't want him to leave her, but couldn't tell him that. He handed her a beaker of potion.

"Drink this and you'll sleep till morning and you won't dream. I wouldn't normally do this, but I feel you need it. I'll stay with you tonight." He answered the unspoken question in her eyes. She drank the potion, and lay back on the warm bed. Her eyes were heavy, and she couldn't keep them open. She thought that Snape had kissed her forehead, but she must have dreamed that surely,


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N** – THANK YOU for all your lovely reviews! Sorry to have kept you waiting so long for this. I didn't have my files with me when I went home for Easter. I have written quite a lot more of this now, so hopefully will aim to post once a week. I know where we're going, but not how long it'll take me to get there! Obviously I own none of these characters. They all belong to JKR; I'm just playing with her toybox! Thanks to my beta LinZE (check her out – she's good!). Please let me know your thoughts, and if there are any improvements I can make on future chapters. Thankyou!

**Chapter 3**

Minerva McGonagall had been enjoying a quiet game of chess with Albus Dumbledore when she had been summoned by Poppy Pomfrey to the hospital wing. Hermione had been asleep when she got there, tossing and turning. Poppy and Severus explained to Minerva as best they could the what had happened, although they still weren't entirely sure as they had not been able to examine Hermione yet. In her troubled sleep, she had called out the name of one of the other students, Draco Malfoy. Both she and Severus had surmised that he was behind the incident in the dungeons, although it seemed hard to believe that one of the students was capable of this. Severus had wanted to go and speak to Malfoy, but she had stopped him. He was too angry, and she thought it wasn't wise to let him do anything when he was in this state. Besides, Hermione seemed to trust him, and that was important. She was quite capable of dealing with Draco Malfoy, she had argued, and Hermione needed him. He had not been able to deny the logic behind her argument, and had reluctantly agreed to stay with Hermione. She strode down the corridor, her robes billowing out behind her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry with a student. She went into the Slytherin common room and marched up to the seventh year dormitory.

"Draco Malfoy, I need to see you now. Get dressed immediately. I'll be waiting in the common room."She swept out of the room, leaving behind several very confused seventh years.A few minutes later, Draco emerged from the boy's dormitory, and came into the common room looking paler than usual.

"I think we'll go to my office Mr Malfoy. Now please." She marched out of the room, and all the way back to her office at the other end of the castle. Once they were inside, she pointed to a couch. Draco didn't think he'd ever seen her as angry as this. Her lips were drawn up in a thin line, and her eyes were stern and cold. He sat on the seat silently, waiting for what was coming next.  
"I have just come from the hospital wing Mr Malfoy. Miss Granger is not doing very well." She saw his hands tighten on the underside of the chair; heard the sharp intake of breath. "Perhaps you could shed some light on the situation. What on earth possessed you?" She was shouting now, needing to release the anger that was lurking beneath the surface.

"I had no choice." Draco's voice was quiet, and he didn't look up. "I had no choice. I never wanted to hurt her."  
"Oh really, you didn't want to hurt her? Well that's all alright then, isn't it?" He was shaking, but she didn't care. _Let the little so-and-so shake. It would do him good to feel a bit of fear._ "Do you know what you put that girl through? I don't know exactly what happened in that dungeon but I have a pretty good idea Mr Malfoy, and I don't know that she'll ever get over it. So I think you'd better tell me why you had no choice."  
"I had no choice, I had to do it, I had to." He repeated the words as though they were a mantra. He looked at her for the first time, and she saw that he was hanging on by a very thin thread. She had seen that haunted look before, and she knew that this was part of something bigger. Her anger abated slightly, and she moved towards him. "Why didn't you have a choice Draco?" Her tone was slightly softer now. "Why did you need to do this to Hermione?" She was insistent; she had to get to the bottom of this. Somehow the gentleness in her voice made it all worse.

"I had to, you don't understand, I had to." He was struggling for control now.  
"I want to understand Draco. I need you to explain to me why you had to do this. I don't think that you would have hurt Hermione like this if you were acting of your own volition. I need to know who put you up to this. I need you to tell me."  
"I can't. I can't explain this to you, and I can't tell you why, but you have to believe that I didn't want this to happen, not to her or to anyone, but I had no choice."

Minerva sat down on the couch next to Draco, and put her arm round his shoulders. He was very tense; his breathing shallow and fast.  
"Alright, Draco. It's alright now." She pulled him to her, cradling his head on her shoulder. "Alright, sweetheart. It's all going to be ok." He tried to pull away, but she held him close. "How can it be ok?" he screamed. "How can it be ok after what I've done? How can you even bear to sit next to me?" He was fighting like a wildcat to escape her grip, but she was holding him tightly. He stopped fighting , and sagged against her, crying.  
"Alright, Draco. It's alright," she repeated the words quietly, trying to calm him. "Ok, sweetheart, it's alright." Gradually his sobs slowed, and she felt him begin to relax. "Do you think you could tell me what's going on here Draco? Can you trust me?"  
"I can't explain. I can't tell anyone."  
"Try me, Draco. I'm not here to judge. You've done something very wrong, and you know that as well as I do, but I think there's more to this than meets the eye. I know that you're scared of someone, but you have no real reason to protect the person who made you do this. Draco?" He was staring resolutely at the floor again. She brushed a strand of hair from his face, and wiped away a tear. "Look at me Draco. I want to help you."

He raised his eyes to look at her, wanting to trust her, wanting to tell her everything, but not knowing how to, or where to start. How could he explain to her?  
"Come on Draco, talk to me. This is important. Come on." Draco looked at her soft eyes, full of compassion, and before he knew it the words were pouring out of him and he was telling her everything.

"I didn't have a choice, professor, really I didn't. If it hadn't been me, it would have been someone else, and believe me that would have been worse. Really, a lot worse. My dad wouldn't have been as nice as I was." Minerva tightened her grip and held him closer as she heard his voice tremble. "He knows how I feel about Hermione, but he said that if I didn't do it, then he would … and I'd better do it properly, or he'd do it again, and punish me as well … I tried to be gentle, I really did … You have no idea what my father would have put her through." His voice broke, and he blinked back tears.

Minerva realised with a jolt what she felt should have been obvious right from the start. She had been there when Severus had returned from his little midnight meetings with Voldemort, had seen the state he was often in. She had sat with him and held his hand whilst Albus had patched him up, and she had rocked him back to sleep when he had woken himself up with his nightmares. She should have realised that Lucius Malfoy, a staunch member of Voldemort's inner circle, would employ similar tactics. She had always known that the man was a sadist, but she never realised that he was capable of doing _this_ to his own child.

"I think I can guess. You don't need to guess though do you? You know what it would have been like, don't you?" She was speaking quietly, but she was holding him extremely tightly. Draco could see tears in her eyes. She made an effort and pulled herself together. "Draco, none of this is your fault. I need you to know that. This is not your fault. Your father has a problem, but that problem is not you." She pulled away, and looked at him.  
"Look at me, Draco." She cupped her hand under his chin and gently turned his head to her. "Whatever happens, it's going to be alright, I can promise you that. He's not going to hurt you again. I won't let him." He met her gaze, and she saw not the arrogant upstart that was on show to the world at large, but a very frightened boy looking at her. She wanted with all her heart to make his pain and hurt go away, to make him whole again and it broke her heart to know that there was little she could do for this broken child. Well, she would do the little she could if it damn well killed her. She pulled him close again and kissed him gently on the forehead.  
"I want you to come with me to the infirmary. You're exhausted. Professor Dumbledore will want to talk to you about this evening, but not tonight. I know this isn't going to be easy for you, but I'm going to ask you if you can be brave. I promise you won't be on your own. I'm not going anywhere until I know that you're asleep for the night." He looked at her gratefully.

"Come on, let's get you into a bed," she whispered. She had to half carry him to the infirmary as he was dead on his feet. They got him undressed and into bed in a side wing, as far away from Hermione as possible, and Minerva sat with him until he fell asleep, holding his hand and stroking his hair.  
"No one's going to do anything tonight, so I want you to sleep and not worry about anything. Everything will look better in the morning, and I'll come and see you then."  
"Please don't leave me."  
"Child, I have to sleep, but I shall be outside in the main ward. I'll be here if you need me I promise."  
"Thank you." He had sunk into sleep then, exhausted by the events of the evening, comforted by the presence of the deputy head.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - **Obviously I don't own any of these characters (sob!) and I'm not making any money from this. I promised JKR I would put them back when I'm done, so no harm done! Thanks to LinZe, my fab beta, for her help! All reviews very much appreciated! Thanks to all those lovely people who have reviewed. You puta huge grin on my face with your kind words!

**Chapter 4**

Minerva came out of the side wing, and saw Severus emerging from further down the ward. Neither of them wanted to leave their charges; they would sleep in the ward for the night.  
"How is she Severus?" Minerva saw how tired he looked, and knew that this was a great strain for him. She wished he would tell her how he felt, but he never did. Here was another broken Slytherin she couldn't heal.  
"Sleeping quietly. How's he?" Severus noticed that Minerva was looking at him, but couldn't interpret her gaze.  
"Sleeping. Oh Severus, what that poor child has been through." She allowed herself to think, for the first time, what it must have been like for him, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. "I want to make it better, but I can't. There's nothing I can do or say that's going to make him feel better, and that hurts so much. If I could heal him I would, you know I would, but I can't, no one can, and it breaks my heart to think of him going through that by himself." Severus walked over to her and put his arms round her. She leant into his shoulder, head against his chest, and allowed herself to be held for a few moments, needing to feel the closeness of another human being.  
"Hush, Min, hush." Severus' tones were gentle, reassuring, a rarity for him. "I know that you would go to the ends of the earth to protect your students, everyone knows that. All you can do is be there for him, and that's what you're doing. Believe me it helps. You're doing all you can."

She allowed herself to be comforted by his words, and for a few moments they stood in silence. She straightened up and looked at him. "You knew about this didn't you? You knew what was going on. That's why you wanted to get to Draco first."  
"I suspected certainly, once Miss Granger mentioned a name, I had an idea who was behind this. I suppose I just hoped for Draco's sake that I was wrong. Lucius Malfoy is not a nice man, and the things he does are not nice. I hoped that Draco would never have to find that out for himself. I just thought I could help him." He leaned his head against hers, and she rubbed his back for a few moments. The sound of the hospital wing doors opening made them start.

Dumbledore came down the ward, and took Minerva in his arms.  
"My dear, you look exhausted. You must get some sleep. I know what's happened, but we'll sort it out in the morning." He kissed her softly on the forehead, holding her close for a moment. "Go to sleep," he breathed. "I love you."  
"I love you too, Albus. But I'm not leaving here tonight."  
"Damn right you're not," he replied, scooping her up in his arms and depositing her unceremoniously on the bed that they had been stood by. "I'm not having you walk the castle on this cold night to get to your bed. But you must sleep now; you'll be no good to anyone if you don't." He kissed her forehead gently as her eyes closed. He turned to Severus, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
"I'm very proud of you Severus. I know that tonight has not been easy for you, whatever you might pretend. Sleep now and we'll talk in the morning." He pointed to the bed next to Minerva's. "Goodnight, Severus."  
"Thank you Albus. Goodnight."

The headmaster turned on his heel and walked briskly out of the hospital wing, leaving both professors fast asleep


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I do not own any of the characters, although I think the plot is mine. Don't sue me – I have nothing to give you! Sorry it's taken so long to update this, but it's the end of term and what with essay deadlines, concerts, meetings and revision I haven't had chance to write much. Roll on the summer. Anyway, this chapter is a little longer than some of the previous ones, so I hope you like it – please review and let me know your thoughts! Thanks to LinZe my fabulous beta! **

**Chapter 5**

Neither Severus nor Minerva slept well, and their charges passed an equally restless night. Severus dragged himself off to teach his classes, but insisted on being with Hermione throughout the night. He would _not _leave her on her own again. He had promised he would be there, and it was one promise he fully intended to keep. Albus recognised that the only way to prevent Severus from carrying out his bedside vigil would be to tie him down, and as he didn't want to risk the hexes that he was well aware the potions master knew, he decided against this course of action. Severus stayed by her side all night, and the lack of sleep was apparent with the dark circles that appeared under his eyes the next morning at breakfast. However, he would not give in. He would teach today as expected, no matter how tired he was. He couldn't explain why he had needed to be with Hermione so much, but she was so innocent, so young: she shouldn't have to go through what he had been through. She didn't deserve any of this, and he needed to know that she was going to deal with it better than he ever had. He couldn't face the thought of the bright hope in her eyes being dampened by the actions of Lucius Malfoy. Added to that was the fact that she seemed to need him for some reason, goodness only knew why. He would have felt more comfortable had she latched on to Minerva, but it was _him_ she seemed to trust. He stared stonily ahead, and drank another cup of coffee.

Minerva made her way down to the dungeons after lunch. Severus hadn't made it to the great hall, and it was very rare for him to miss a meal. She had taken advantage of her free period to go and check on him. She knew he was taking this harder than anyone else on the staff, especially as it involved Draco, his protégé. She was worried about him, and she knew she wouldn't be able to work if she hadn't made sure he was alright. As she neared the dungeons, it became obvious that there was nothing wrong with his lungs. He was bawling at a student, who, by the sounds of it, had stuffed up spectacularly.

"HOW COULD YOU BE SUCH AN IMBECILE? I AM AWARE THAT YOU ARE ONLY A MERE FIFTEEN YEARS OLD, BUT I HAD HOPED YOU WOULD HAVE LEARNT TO READ BY NOW, EVEN IF YOU ARE IN GRYFFINDOR! HOW MUCH PLAINER DO YOU WANT ME TO MAKE IT? I shouldn't have to baby-sit my OWLs class, but if you are unable to read, maybe you will prove yourselves able to write. I want three feet of parchment from everyone in the class describing in exact detail how to make a wolfsbane potion." The gasps of dismay from the class were audible. He had chosen one of the harder potions, which even Minerva, competent though she was, was not confident she would be able to brew correctly.

"And as for you, Longbottom …" There was a pause, and Severus' voice dropped to a dangerous whisper: Minerva's heart sank. Neville Longbottom's cousin was almost as useless as Neville himself, and the potions master hated him almost as much as he hated Neville.  
"I think a nice round …" Minerva opened the door to the classroom before he could decide how many points he would remove.  
"I believe we've already lost fifty points today Severus," she said quietly. "I think that's enough, don't you?" He sagged visibly, and told the class to leave. They sensed that this would be an unbelievably good move, and vanished almost immediately.

Severus sank down on the edge of his desk. "Was that unreasonable Minerva?" he asked.  
"Maybe you went a little overboard, but these aren't exactly normal circumstances are they?" She sat down next to him on the desk. "I'm worried about you Severus. Come to my rooms for some food. You haven't eaten much for the last few days, and if you're not going to sleep, you ought to eat." He opened his mouth to protest, but she carried on without giving him the chance. "I _know_ you, Severus Snape, and you are not alright. You are _not _handling this well. I realise you're not going to tell me what's going on in that strange head of yours, and I don't ask you to tell me. Just don't run yourself into the ground. You can't help her if you wear yourself out." She slid off the desk, and slipped her arm through his, guiding him to her rooms.

She pulled the bell, and almost immediately a house elf appeared. "Could you rustle up some lunch for Professor Snape please, Aggy? Maybe some of the lamb and new potatoes we had last night?" Severus smiled, knowing that she hadn't ordered his favourite meal by coincidence.  
"Yes, professor. Right away professor. Is there anything else professor?" The little creature was bobbing her head up and down so fast in her eagerness to serve that it almost made him dizzy.  
"Thank you, no. That's everything for now." She gestured for Severus to sit as Aggy left the room. He collapsed gratefully into one of the huge squashy chairs in the room. Minerva sank into the other one, and they waited in companionable silence until Aggy returned, struggling under a huge platter of meat, potatoes and vegetables, as well as a tray with a large silver teapot and two cups. Minerva smiled at the elf's anticipation of her wishes. "Thank you Aggy." The elf retreated, and Severus fell on the food hungrily.

"Sorry, Minerva. I didn't realise how hungry I was," he said when he had finished every morsel on the plate.  
"Severus you can't keep going like this. You need to sleep you know. Not that I believe for a second that you were that touchy simply because you haven't slept. I don't suppose you want to tell me what happened?"

He found himself in the unusual position of wanting to open up to her. He wanted to tell her just how much he was hurting and have her make it better, like she had done in the past. To his eternal shame, a tear was coursing slowly down his cheek. He tried to brush it away, but another fell, and another, and he couldn't keep up. Minerva put her cup down on the table next her, and strode across the room to him. She sat on the arm of the chair, and pulled him close whilst he sobbed. Such moments of raw emotion were rare from the Slytherin, and she knew that this would be difficult for him. Finally the sobs slowed, and he pulled away, taking a deep breath.

"I think I needed that."  
"Talk to me Severus. I can't help you if I don't know what's wrong." They were almost the exact words he had used to Hermione, and the role reversal almost made him laugh.  
"She woke up in the night you know." He wanted her to ask the question, to give him an excuse for telling her all this, but she was resolutely silent, and so he forced himself to go on. "I think it hit her... She was having a nightmare. She was crying and talking … and then I think she woke herself up, and she didn't know where she was. And then …" He took a deep breath, trying to make himself go on; Minerva squeezed his shoulder gently. "Then, she did remember where she was, and she cried Min. And I couldn't help her. She wouldn't let me near her, and nothing I was saying was helping her andhe cried herself to sleep. And I am so _bloody_ useless that I couldn't do anything about it."

"Severus, I don't think anyone could have done any more than you did. And I'm not just saying that because I think it's what you need to hear, so don't start; I haven't got the energy to argue with you. Besides, you said as much the other night with Draco. All we can do is be there. Don't give up on her Severus. Miss Granger is not done yet I can assure you. She is an incredibly strong young woman, and she will no doubt recover from this, but not without our support." She smiled at him, and gave him a quick hug. "Please, please Severus, don't blame yourself for any of this. You are _not _useless, whatever you may think. Now, I think you should go to bed, as you will doubtless be aware that Hermione has asked if you will be repeating your vigil." He opened his mouth to protest, but she shooed him towards the door. "Go. I don't think it will do the first years any harm to miss potions for once."

She smiled to herself as he retreated down the stairs. He looked as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She was glad he had talked to her this afternoon. Now at least she had some idea where he was coming from, which was always useful when dealing with Severus. She was startled out of her reverie by a light tap on the door.

"Come in," she called out, wondering who it was. The door opened and the headmaster peered round it.  
"There you are my dear. I was wondering what had happened to you when you didn't show up for tea."  
"Albus! I'm so sorry, I forgot."  
"I saw Severus on the way up here. Did you manage to have that word with him? He looked a bit happier." Minerva briefly recounted her meeting with the Slytherin.  
"And now my dear, I feel the only one who needs cheering up is you."  
"Oh, Albus, I'm fine. Don't you worry about me."  
"But I do Min, you know I do. I don't want the most wonderful woman this side of the moon to have a nervous breakdown on me. Severus isn't the only one looking tired you know." He scooped her up out of her chair, and sat down in it himself, arranging his deputy more comfortably on his knee. He reached for the back of her head, took the pins out of her bun, and watched the black hair snake down her back. She settled into his shoulder as he stroked her hair gently. He kissed her gently on the forehead, and then stared into her soft green eyes. He leant forward and brushed her lips gently with his own.  
"I love you, Minerva."

He felt her shift in his lap, and her mouth sought his own. She was hungry for his love. She needed his soft gentle hands to remind her that there were good men in the world, men who could make her feel complete. She needed to forget that men like Malfoy existed, at least for a while, and he was the one man who could take her mind off things. She stood up and with a wave of her wand cleared her desk. Albus stood up and with a flick of his hand, her robes slid gently to the floor, followed by his own.

"Professor Dumbledore, would you be pleased by anything by any small chance?" She had a teasing smile on her face, as her eyes wandered appreciatively over his body.  
"Well, yes, it would appear so, although I can't think what. It _may_ have something to do with the fact that my wife is beautiful, but I feel we may need further research into it before I can come to any conclusion." His eyes were twinkling more than usual as he led her over to the clear desk. Her mouth sought for his again, and they both gave up on rational thought. This was not a moment to think, and they revelled in their closeness and intimacy.

When they were both thinking again, and the passion had passed, they were laid on the desk, with their arms and legs entwined, Minerva's head resting on Albus' chest.  
"Do you feel better now my dear?" he asked very gently. "I think Severus was not the only one needing therapy."

"I just needed to know that you were the same, that you loved me still. I suppose I just needed to not think about Hermione for a while. Does that sound wrong?" She looked up at him, and once again felt he was seeing straight through her, not that this ever worried her. She liked the fact that he could read her so well; it made her feel at home.  
"Minerva, we both know that you can't be there worrying the whole time. Wanting to be with me is not a bad thing, and I don't mind you needing affirmation from me, although next time, a bed or rug would be appreciated. Some of us aren't as young as we were." He smiled gently, and kissed her slowly, enjoying the feeling of her open, questing, hungry mouth. "Your therapy is clearly not complete yet, Mrs. Dumbledore. I think a change of scene is necessary." He led her silently into the bedroom, where the therapy continued long into the night.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. Both my beta and I have had exams this last couple of weeks, so there hasn't been much time for writing or beta-ing!The good news is that I'm on a train for 5 hours on Tuesday, so will have the time to write some more - hopefully the next chapter will be up in a week, but no promises! Hope you enjoy this chapter. As always please review! (It makes me smile to read all your kind comments) And many many thanks to Linds for all her hard work! She's fab!**

**Chapter 6**

Severus went to the hospital wing that night after dinner.  
"How is she Poppy?" he asked the tired-looking medi-witch.  
"She's doing as well as can be expected. Do you want to sit with her? She seems to sleep better when you're around."  
"Thank you, Poppy, I think I will. I'm not in the way?"  
"No, no, of course not Severus. Go ahead."

He walked down the ward, and knocked softly on the door to Hermione's room.  
"Come in." Well, she wasn't asleep then.  
"Good evening, Miss Granger. I hope you feel a little bit better today." He sat down stiffly in the chair next to her bed.  
"Are you going to stay with me again?" Sheturned so that she was looking at him, the expression in her brown eyes unreadable.  
He leant forward in his seat and rested his elbows on his knees. "Would you like me to? I can if you want. I mean … if you would rather I went." Merlin, this was awkward. He couldn't fathom why either, it had not been nearly so difficult before. Well, he was here now; there was nothing else he could do but carry on.

"Please, stay. I need to ask you something sir." She looked worried, almost nervous.  
"Miss Granger, I think in the present circumstances we can dispense with the sir, don't you? What was it you wanted to ask?"  
"Why did he do it? There must be a reason, and I want to know why this had to happen to me." Her voice was steady, but her hands were shaking and there were tears in her eyes giving him some idea of what it was costing her to stay calm.

"Hermione, I'm really not the person you should be talking to about this. I'm not good at explaining why people do the things they do. Do you want to talk to professor McGonagall about this?" _She would be able to help you much better than I can_.  
"No." The determination in her voice took Severus by surprise. "I need to know, professor. I need to know that this was just random, and that nothing I did made this happen. I need to be sure that this wasn't my fault." He looked at her for a second, and then very slowly eased an arm round her shoulders, expecting her to flinch at his touch. She tensed slightly, but then relaxed into his embrace.

"Hermione, Lucius Malfoy is one of the most unpleasant men I have ever had the misfortune to know. He told Draco that if he didn't do this to you, then he would. I believe that this was the lesser of the two evils." _I _know_ that this was the lesser of two evils._ "Whatever Draco did, believe me, his father would have been worse. I realise that that is not much comfort, but I don't know what else I can tell you." He felt a shudder go through her, and pulled her closer to him. She foundhis hand, and he squeezed it hard.  
"Yes, but why me? What's so special about me?" Her voice was low, and she was fighting for control.

"It probably shouldn't be me telling you this, but it's fairly well known in the Slytherin common room that Draco only has eyes for one Gryffindor. I suppose his father found out, and … well, let's just say that Lucius' attitude to mud-bloods is … interesting. He gave Draco no choice Hermione." It was suddenly very important that she believed that. He couldn't bear this if she thought that this was somehow Draco's fault.

"This is tearing him apart Hermione." He couldn't keep the weariness, the pain, out of his voice. He was so worried that this would drive Draco to the wrong side. He hadn't even been able tovisit the boy. Hehadn't been able todecide whether his interference would make the situation better or worse, and so he had left it. Now he wasn't sure if he had the courage to visit the boy, and he would probably say the wrong thing anyway. He sighed heavily.

Hermione had a sudden urge to hug the potions master. He looked so old all of a sudden, so tired. The light in his eyes seemed to have been shut off, and she was unable to read his change in mood. He sighed heavily, and Hermione shyly patted his arm. That seemed to bring him round a bit anyway. He looked at her and she thought she saw tears in his eyes. He pulled her close for a second, and kissed her gently on the forehead. Then he pulled away, and looked into her eyes. She felt as if he was reading her soul, and found herself blushing. She returned his gaze, and, without quite knowing how, she found herself closer to the potions master. She could feel his breath on her cheek, and could hear his heart beating.

He knew he ought to move, but somehow he was trapped in her gaze. She was so innocent and pure, so defenceless and open. She needed him, she had asked him to stay. Surely he couldn't be so churlish as to walk away now? She was closer; he could feel the heat as she flushed, but her gaze never wavered. Her perfect cherry mouth was slightly open, and all he wanted to do was kiss her. _Merlin's beard!_ She was his student and she had just been through a terrible ordeal. What was he thinking? He jerked his arm away, standing up abruptly.  
"Miss Granger I suggest you get some sleep now. I will, perhaps, pop in later."  
"Goodnight, Professor Snape. Tell Draco… tell him I forgive him."

He left the room quickly, shutting the door behind him, resting his forehead on it for a moment. All he could think about was the pain in her eyes and the hurt in her voice, pain and hurt he wanted to cleanse her of. He couldn't understand what had come over him though; he didn't have time for women as a rule, and he had no time whatsoever for this one, no matter what the circumstances. And he really couldn't put off seeing Draco any longer; if Miss Granger seemed to need his presence then the boy would undoubtedly need the reaffirmation that he was there for him as well, to hear Hermione's forgiveness. After all it was unlikely that he would be able to mess this visit up as spectacularly as the last one and so he steeled himself before striding purposefully down the ward towards Draco's room.

Hermione closed her eyes and lay back on the pillow, confused by the potion master's abrupt exit. She had been so sure, for a moment, that he wanted to kiss her. She thought she had seen desire mixed with the pity that was obvious in his eyes as he looked at her for a long moment. Then it had died, vanishing as suddenly as it had come, so that she wasn't sure it had even been there in the first place. The funny thing was, she didn't find the idea of being kissed by Severus repulsive. There was something about him that made her feel safe: his strong arm seemed to fit naturally round her shoulders, protecting her from the world and from her nightmares. She felt a sudden squirming in her stomach at the thought of what those lips could do to hers. She had wanted him to kiss her so badly, wanted to kiss away the memories. The memories that were there, although she would ignore them, the memories that would haunt her dreams forever. Draco Malfoy touching her, kissing her, but Lucius Malfoy's face somehow watching them both from afar. She wrenched her mind onto another track, refusing to be drawn down that path again, especially without the comfort of having Severus by her bed. _When had he become Severus anyway? _That was a new development. Still there was no denying she liked the feel of his name on her lips, although not as much as she wanted to like the feel of his lips on her own. Her stomach turning over again, she snuggled down with a soft smile on her face to dream of the soft kisses of a certain black-haired Slytherin.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N Sorry this has taken such a long time to update. It's been an incredibly busy couple of weeks for me, so I just haven't had the time to write or edit this chapter. Thanks to my beta Linds as always for all her hard work, and for keeping me on my toes over the summer! Also thanks to the lovely people who reviewed. I hope this chapter was worth the wait, and I will try to get the next one up soon, though no promises! P.S. I don't own these characters sigh**

**Chapter 7**

The meeting had not been an easy one for Severus. It hurt him greatly to see any of his charges in such obvious distress and it was plain from the moment he entered the room that what he had done was eating away at the young Malfoy. Draco's pale and agitated form had shown his apprehension in its very countenance as he turned to see who had entered, and the look of fear that crossed his face when Severus stepped inside cut the Head of House to the quick. His reaction only served to reaffirm what he had anticipated; that he was going to have to tread exceptionally carefully. Closing the door gently behind him, he had approached the room's inhabitant and sat on the chair positioned close to the bed.

"None of this is your fault Draco. I know what you're going through, believe me." Draco turned to him with a strange look on his face. "Did you honestly think you were the only person who has suffered at the hands of your father? I had hoped that you would never see that side of him, but I suppose that was somewhat naïve.." That was badly worded, but how did one find the right words in a situation like this? He heard a funny gasp from the bed beside him, and saw the tears running down Draco's face. This was horribly awkward, and for some reason he struggled to pinpoint Severus didn't feel he could comfort the boy in the same way as he had Hermione. He patted him on the shoulder and handed him a wad of tissues from the box on the bedside table.

"Sorry professor," Draco mumbled when he had calmed himself a little. He looked straight at Severus. "I really didn't have a choice. Did I?" The first was a statement rushed and uncertain; the second an almost pleading request for reassurance. Severus took him by the shoulders and looked him in the eye. "If you hadn't done this, it would have been worse for everyone. You know that and I know that. This is hard for you I know, but I don't see what you could have done. However, I realise that that probably won't help you live with this. There are people you can talk to you know." He had never been good at this sort of thing. He was miserably out of his depth, but he knew he had to talk to the boy as he was the only one with any idea of what he was going through. Despite this however, what he wanted now was some of the natural instincts that certainly appeared to guide his Gryffindor counterpart when she comforted a student. Minerva was just so much better at this sort of thing even when the stakes were not so high; she like Albus just seemed to have the right words. Draco choked as he tried to say something, and he came out of his reverie with a start.

"I couldn't say, I mean, how do you explain that to someone? They have no idea … why should I tell someone else? They'll think I'm evil."

"Draco, no one thinks you're evil for what you did."

" Hermione does," he said emphatically. I … I never wanted to hurt her you know. I don't want to be part of this, to hurt people, and I never, ever wanted to hurt _her_. And… and he made me do it."

"I know Draco. Hermione is still having trouble coming to terms with what you did, but she does not hate you. Listen to me Draco." He waited until the young boy's eyes met his own before continuing. "She does not hate you. Do you understand that? I told her the circumstances in which you were placed, and she doesn't hate you. She is still very shocked, it's true, but she will get over this, get past it. We're all going to help Hermione, and we're going to help you as well." . Severus knew how fundamentally important it was that he managed to get Draco to understand and accept that he was not being blamed for what had happened. Knew the consequences if he was not successful. He couldn't bear it if he went over to the dark. He sensed that this was a turning point for the boy, and he needed to know that Severus was there for him, that he understood, and that he would help him resist his father, and the allure of _You-Know-Who_, and the power that he offered. He would _not_ see Draco make the same mistakes he had; he would find a way to help the boy if he could.

Minerva joined them at this juncture and smiling briefly at Draco, and sat down on the other side of the bed. "How are you Draco? Is everything alright here?" She could see that the discussion had been a trying one for both Slytherins, and sought for a way to lighten the mood. She smoothed the covers of his bed, and brushed a stray hair from his face. Draco leaned into her touch, despite its brevity, wanting the security of her arms to protect him, although she knew he would never be able to bring himself to say so. She had guessed that Severus might find this hard, and was glad she had decided to look in on her way past the hospital wing. It was important that Severus tried to talk to Draco, important that he knew that he was not to blame, but Severus, though he tried his best, was not the person one automatically turned to in a moment of crisis. It was clear, to her at least, that this situation was too close to home for Severus to be able to find the emotional detachment he needed to be able to help Draco properly. Yes, Severus and Draco needed to talk, but it couldn't hurt if she was there as well.

"How … how's Hermione?" He couldn't hide the way his voice cracked as he asked the question. Minerva found his hand, and squeezed it.

"She's better." She squeezed his hand tighter. "Draco, she doesn't blame you for any of this." She saw a tear creep down his cheek, followed by another one. She pulled him close, comforting him. He held her tightly as she rocked him gently back and forth, all the time talking to him quietly. Severus sat in his chair, looking at the floor. He remembered how reassuring that felt, to be held by Minerva, especially after what Draco must have gone through. He stared at the floor, trying to block out the memories of similar scenes, and found himself on the verge of tears. He looked up, and she was studying him with a look of concern on her face. As the corner of her mouth twitched upwards slightly, her eyes encouraging him, and he felt a little better.

When Draco's sobs had slowed and stopped, she conjured a mug of hot chocolate, and gave it to him.

"Better?" she asked, smoothing his hair.

"Thank you." He looked at her, and she slid her arm round his shoulder, not relinquishing her grip for a second.

"Any time, Draco. I mean that. We're here for you as much as we're here for Hermione. Any time you need me or Professor Snape, or Professor Dumbledore, we're here for you. I want you to remember that." She was serious, and she held him tight whilst she said her piece. "Now, if you've finished that chocolate, I would suggest you sleep a while."

"When am I going back to the school?" he asked her nervously.

"Quite soon I think."

"I don't think I can." He voiced the fear that had been eating away at him. Minerva looked at him. "Draco, nobody knows what went on between you and Miss Granger." She sighed. "I know this is hard for you to believe, but none of the other students are going to know what's happened."

"But I've not been there, and surely they'll know what happened to Hermione. They're not stupid. I bet Potter is having a field day telling everyone how evil I am."

"So far, nobody has connected your illness with Hermione's absence, and I suspect that is how it will stay. Your feelings for Miss Granger aren't exactly a secret you know. Any student who does make the connection will be gently redirected. However, we'll cross that bridge together if and when we need to. Now sleep, Draco. Forget all this until the morning." She took the mug from his hands, and made him comfortable. When he was asleep, she and Severus left the room quietly.

"How did he seem to you?" she asked when they were outside.

"He's scared Min. I tried to tell him that he didn't need to be, but you know how I am with words. Sorry. It's not been a good week." He grinned ruefully, but he looked tired, and he was pale and drawn. He sat down on a nearby bed.

"You know I'm not good with feelings."

"Yes, but despite the image that you like to… have to project, you do still have them." She smiled briefly, and then looked at him, serious again. "I wish I could help you."

"I don't need your help, thank you." His response was icy, his face set, eyes masked.

"Severus," she chided softly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. I just don't want to think about what that … _man_…" Severus couldn't bring himself to say the name out loud, "that monster, has done to them. This is not their battle, it shouldn't involve them, and yet it does, and we can't stop it can we?"

"Severus, they're growing up, and we can't protect them from the real world, however much we'd like to. Hogwarts is not the haven it used to be, and until _You-Know-Who_ is sorted out, it isn't going to be safe. Nowhere is safe Severus. I don't know what we could have done to prevent this happening, do you? I think we both know that Lucius Malfoy is more than a match for the defences of the school; he was more than capable of carrying out his threat. We both know that." She couldn't repress a shudder as the thought of what might have happened crossed her mind.

"You are not to blame for this Severus. Lucius Malfoy is a sick, twisted man who has no sense of decency even when it comes to his own son, but that certainly isn't your fault. Ok?"

"I should have spotted that there was something going on though… I mean I'm his head of house. How did I miss this?"

"For Merlin's sake, Severus, nobody's perfect! You can't stop every instance of child abuse that you come across, and sadly these people get very good at hiding what's going on. This is not your fault, and you're being ridiculous." They stood in silence for a while, and then Minerva roused herself. "Now, we should go and sleep. We have lessons tomorrow, and I think Draco and Hermione are going to need a lot of help to get back into school. We aren't any help to anyone if we're dead on our feet."

Severus knew she was right, but he needed to hear her say it. He got up and headed for the door of the hospital wing, holding it open for Minerva. " Thank you," he said quietly. "What would we do without you?"

"You'd manage just fine," she said softly with an enigmatic smile before heading in the direction of the headmaster's room. As Severus strode towards his room, he swore he would see Lucius Malfoy get his comeuppance if it killed him.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN:** I'm back! Have had major computer issues, my muse had to be resuscitated, and my unbelievably fabulous beta, the ever-glamorous LinZe has been doing her dissertation. However, she has now finished that, I have finished the story, and hopefully it will all be posted very soon! Thanks to everyone who reviewed many aeons ago when this was first posted, and a special thanks to you guys who reviewed recently and spurred me on to get my act together and post this, which I have to say has been sat on my computer for weeks. And Linds, I love you! Thanks for reading, and please review – it's the only way to get me to post more chapters!

Obviously I am just playing in J. K. Rowling's sand box. Only the plot is (probably) mine! Everything else is hers. Sadly.

**The First Blow**

**Chapter 8**

Hermione hadn't quite made it to breakfast that morning. After nearly a full week back in class she was beginning to feel slightly more normal, but it was going to take time. She felt so ashamed and so dirty, and she couldn't help but flinch every time Harry or Ron accidentally brushed against her. Everyone had remarked on how jumpy she had become lately, and she had taken to spending more and more time in the dormitory. The crowded hot common room made her feel uncomfortable. Today she had woken up with a brick in the pit of her stomach. Monday mornings meant potions, and potions meant the dungeons. Professor Snape had asked her if she would be continuing her studies in his subject. They had both agreed that it would arouse suspicion if she simply stopped turning up though, so she steeled herself for the ordeal, swung her legs out of the safe, warm bed, and began to get dressed. It was too late for breakfast by the time she had finished procrastinating, but the way her stomach felt this morning, that was probably a good thing. She wasn't certain about how much she could have kept down at the moment. Grabbing her bag from the end of the bed, she headed down the staircase into the common room, hoping to avoid another inquisition.

Harry was waiting by the fireplace.

"Afternoon, Hermione. Thought you were going to stand me up. Oh, I brought you some breakfast." He handed over a stack of toast, which she accepted gratefully. Bread was about the most innocuous thing you could eat, she reasoned, so a few slices would probably do her good, although she did wonder once again at the mind of the teenage boy as she noted he had brought her eight slices..

"Thanks Harry." He noted that her smile contained the warmth that had been missing since she had come back from the hospital wing. Both he and Ron thought that there was something wrong, but having known Hermione for seven years he had learnt that she would tell them when she was ready If not, then she had her reasons, and pushing her was not going to help. He just hoped she knew that they were there for her.

"Come on, we're going to be late. You know how grumpy Snape gets on a Monday morning." He saw Hermione blanche, and then recover herself. "Is … I don't want to pry Hermione, but is everything alright? You don't look very well. Are you sure you're up to this? Snape's classes can be pretty trying at the best of times."

"I'm fine Harry. You try looking good a week after you've shaken off a bout of glandular fever. And besides, I have to go back to potions. I've already missed so much. Come on, or we really will be late." She stepped through the portrait hole, leaving Harry to follow in her wake.

They arrived at the dungeons just before the bell rang, joining the line of students outside the classroom door. As the bell rang, the door opened, and Snape appeared.

"In," he barked pointing to their seats. "We have a lot to do today. We only have nine weeks before your NEWTS and if you aren't going to fail miserably, you need to work." He looked up, seeing Hermione for the first time. "Miss Granger, I was not aware you would be rejoining us so soon. I trust you are well enough for this?" Hermione caught the edge of concern in the cold voice, the unasked question in his eyes. She nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Thank you professor, I'm much better now." She took a deep breath and stepped through the classroom door. She was there, she was in the room where … no she wouldn't think about it, couldn't think about it yet. She knew that Snape was behind her, and that was comforting somehow. She headed for her usual seat, next to Harry, and saw all the ingredients laid out for a complex healing potion, the instructions for which were already on the board.

"You will work in silence, following the instructions on the board. At the end of the two hours, I will test your potions. If any student fails to make this simple potion, they will write me an essay explaining exactly where they went wrong. Might I also remind you that your projects must be handed in a week on Friday?" Snape ignored the groan that ran round the room at his words.

Hermione sat down and concentrated on the task of preparing the ingredients for the potion. It was tricky, and would need all her concentration, which was good. If she was concentrating on this, she couldn't think about anything else, she told herself, fiercely chopping up her dandelion roots. After about half an hour, she was beginning to get into the familiar rhythm of potion making, finding herself not thinking about what she was doing or where she was, enjoying the act of creating the potion. The next ingredient was a few drops of essence of belladonna. She reached for the bottle on the workbench, unscrewing the top. As she did so, the smell hit her. _This_ was what she had been able to smell on his robes as he had … Suddenly the room was spinning, and she could feel his weight on top of her, feel his breath against her cheek. She dropped the bottle and it smashed on the stone floor. She took a step back to escape the smell, getting her foot caught in her robes, and falling to the floor.

Severus was alerted to the fact that there was a problem when the belladonna bottle that Hermione had been holding fell to the floor and smashed. He was on his feet and at her desk in a moment.

"What happened Mr Potter?" he asked, vanishing the mess of liquid and glass on the floor, kneeling down beside the unconscious student.

"I … I don't know, sir. One minute she was fine, and then she opened the bottle, went a funny colour and just, well she just fell," Harry said shakily.

"Did she hit her head?" Snape barked.

"I … I don't know. It was all too fast for me to see. One minute she was standing there, and the next she was on the floor."

"I think we've established that Mr Potter." He got his wand out of his robes and passed it over her prone form, working from the head down, muttering under his breath as he did so.

"Well, she doesn't appear to have broken anything at least," he muttered, half to himself. Suddenly she opened her eyes, and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Miss Granger, you need to lie still for a little while. Can you tell me my name?" he asked, his voice low and authoritative.

"Professor Snape," she muttered.

"Good. Do you know where you are?" he continued.

"The … the dungeons," she said, looking around her fearfully.

"Very good. Do you think you can stand?" she bit her lip but nodded. "Right, we need to get you to the hospital wing. As usual you have tried to do too much too soon, and it would appear you have had a relapse." He slid one arm under her shoulders, and grabbed her forearm with his other hand, helping her to sit up, steadying her for a moment. She grabbed his arm tightly as they stood up, and he put his arm round her waist as she reeled for a moment on her feet.

"All right, I've got you; I'm not going to let you fall," he said, so quietly only she could hear.

"Mr Potter, as you have an unsalvageable mess in your cauldron already: take Miss Granger up to the hospital wing, and explain to Madam Pomfrey what happened, and then come back here to clean up your bench and Miss Granger's cauldron. There is no reason for the rest of you to stop working."

Harry moved so that he was on the other side of Hermione, and went to take her hand.

"Come on 'Mione, let's get you upstairs," he said gently, still unable to forget the colour her face had gone before she had fallen. She shrank away from him, as though she was frightened of something, although, Harry thought, it couldn't possibly be him, could it?

"Perhaps Miss Granger has been more disorientated by this incident than I first suspected," Severus said, as the grip on his arm was tightened to the point where he was afraid it would compromise his blood supply. "Right, turn off the heat under your cauldrons and pack up; I want the classroom spotless by the time I get back. Spend the rest of the lesson working on your projects. We will attempt this potion again in your next lesson, and Mr Potter, if you don't manage to make it correctly on a second attempt, you will write me a twelve foot essay explaining why."

Leaving the class behind, he turned round, putting his arm firmly round Hermione's waist and guiding her out of the room.


End file.
